MEDICINE

The practice of medicine among the nation's African Americans began with the transfer of African's to America, and their continuation of the practices of the medicine man in Africa. One of these, known only as Caesar, developed a cure for poisoning in 1792. A slave in Charleston, South Carolina, known only as Doctor, practiced medicine early as 1797.

Among the many African Americans who reached professional status in science and medicine were:

JAMES DERHAM (1762-?) a former slave, came to be regarded as one of the most distinguished African Americans in New Orleans.

DAVID K. McDONOUGH, another slave-born African American, achieved notable distinction as a practitioner primarily due to an argument between his owner and another southern planter. To resolve the question of the African American's innate mental capacity, McDonough's owner, who favored the African American man, sent him north to study. McDonough graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania third in his class. He then studied medicine under an eminent professor of surgery at Columbia University and he later practiced at New York's Ear and Eye Infirmary.

Prior to 1847, most African Americans practicing medicine were either self-taught or studied under apprenticeship. Women, too, practiced medicine, obstetrics and were trained as nurses.

ELSEY, a slave on a Georgia plantation, acted as midwife to both African American and white women.

AGGY, a Virginia slave, was in charge of all obstetrical duties on her owner's large plantation.

MARY, an Alabama slave nurse and 'doctoress'.

Familiar names from this early era of African Americans attaining recognition in medicine include:

JAMES STILL, born in 1912 at Indian Mill. New Jersey. The son of an ex-slave and brother of journalist, abolitionist William Still, James Still first began to "make" medicines at the age of 43, acting on a desire born in his early childhood. His patients were both African American and white.

DAVID RUGGLES, born of free parents in 1810, was a reputable hydropathic doctor. Learning the technique from a German doctor whose services he had sought.

WILLIAM WELLS BROWN, an escaped slave and well-known abolitionist, practiced medicine a number of years as a dermapathic and practical physician.

JOHN S. ROCK, well known for his views on abolitionism and equal rights, Dr. Rock practiced medicine and dentistry In 1861 he passed the Massachusetts Bar and became the first African American to be sworn in to argue cases before the Supreme Court.

AUSTIN MAURICE CURTIS, born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1868. Curtis attended Lincoln University before earning his M.D. from Northwestern. He served as a surgeon with Dr. Daniel H. Williams before being named to the Surgical Staff of the Cook County Hospital in 1895, the first such African American appointment to a non-segregated hospital. In 1898, he was named surgeon-in-chief at Freedmen's Hospital. Washington, D.C. From 1928-1938, he served as professor of surgery at Howard.

CAROLINE VIRGINIA ANDERSON, woman pioneer in medicine, was born in Philadelphia about 1848. The daughter of William Still, Ms. Anderson attended private schools and Oberlin College- After teaching school for a year, she entered Howard University, where she also taught drawing and speech. She completed the work for her medical degree in 1878. She was first rejected for an internship at the Boston New England Hospital for Women and Children because she was an African American, but was later accepted. In time, Dr. Anderson established her practice in Philadelphia.

MARY ELIZA MAHONEY, the first African American graduate nurse in the United States. Ms. Mahoney entered the New England Hospital for Women and Children in 1878, at the age of 88, receiving her diploma August 1,1879.

EMMA REYNOLDS was refused admission by several schools of nursing. Her experience inspired Dr. Daniel H. Williams to found Provident Hospital and its complementary nursing school.

DR. NUMA P.G. ADAMS was the first African American Dean of Howard University's Medical College. Dr Adams was born in Virginia in 1885. As a boy, he helped his grandmother collect and dispense herbs. He graduated from Howard University magna cum laude in 1911. In 1912, Columbia University awarded him a master's degree in chemistry, and he joined the staff of Howard University. He resigned in 1918 to enter Rush Medical College, where he worked his way through school by playing the saxophone. Graduating in 1924, Adams was named Dean of Howard's Medical School in 1929.

In the late l920's, of the non-African American hospitals of the country, only three large hospitals, Cook County in Chicago, Harlem and Bellevue in New York, accepted African American interns. Of the African American hospitals, twelve were approved for 68 internships. By the end of World War II, 168 internships were available at the African American operated hospitals.

DR. THOMAS R. PEYTON, in his autobiography, describes the difficulties African American physicians faced in their efforts to practice medicine as evidenced by his own background. However, there is evidence that they succeeded. Born in Brooklyn, Dr Peyton graduated from the Long Island College of Medicine and interned at Philadelphia's Mercy Hospital. Wishing to specialize in Proctology, he sought resident affiliations, but was refused because of his race. He left the United States and studied in Paris and London, returning to America to work among his people.

DR. N. MONTACUE COBB (1904-?) the renowned spokesman for African American rights in medicine received his B.A. degree from Amherst in 1925; M.D. from Howard University in1929; and Ph.D. from Western Reserve University in 1932. He has served as professor of anatomy at Howard University Medical School, editor of The Journal of the National Medical Association, president of the NMA and the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and the Anthropological Society of Washington. He pioneered efforts to ensure equal treatment for African American physicians,

In 1984, ALEXIA IRENE CANADA became the first African American woman neurosurgeon in the United States.

LEVI WATKINS, JR. was the first African American doctor to establish the surgical implantation of an automatic defibrillator in the human head.

LeSALLE D. LEFFALL, JR., a leading surgeon, oncologist and medical educator, became head of the Department of Surgery at Howard University and served as president of the National Cancer Society, where he launched a program to study the increasing incidence and mortality from cancer in African Americans.